Mechanical design and motion control of a biomimetic robotic dolphin

This paper addresses the design, construction and control issues of a novel biomimetic robotic dolphin equipped with mechanical flippers, based on an engineered propulsive model. The robotic dolphin is modeled as a three-segment organism composed of a rigid anterior body, a flexible rear body and an oscillating fluke. The dorsoventral movement of the tail produces the thrust and bending of the anterior body in the horizontal plane enables turning maneuvers. A dual-microcontroller structure is adopted to drive the oscillating multi-link rear body and the mechanical flippers. Experimental results primarily confirm the effectiveness of the dolphin-like movement in propulsion and maneuvering.